Crate



A ril 15, 1941.

J. A. CHRISTENSEN CRATE Filed Sept. 28,- 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 jzvenim'. Jay/v A CHRISTENSEN April 15, 1941. J. A. CHRISTENSEN 2,233,484

CRATE Filed Sept. 28, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JOHN A CHH/STE/VSE/V 5 6 W K- {M07725};

Patented Apr. 15, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CRATE John A. Christensen, Arlington, Mass.

Application September 28, 1938, Serial No. 232,046

6 Claims.

This invention has for its general object the improvement of crates and carriers for fragile articles in transit or storage, and in particular aims to provide an improved milk bottle crate which shall be stronger, cheaper, and lighter, more conveniently handled with less risk of injury to the user, and more sanitary, than existing crates for milk and other bottled products.

To these ends, the invention provides an improved crate in which the shell is formed of continuous material, preferably plywood, bent around and usually overlapped at its ends to form a tube, the shell being equipped with a separator structure, for supporting the bottles in spaced relation therein, which can be assembled in its finished relation as a unit wholly outside of the shell and requires only to be inserted therein and fastened in place to complete the crate. Preferably, the separator structure includes a metal rim or similar member which assists the shell to maintain its given shape against crushing and warping in the course of prolonged use, while at the same time protecting the bottom of the crate from wear, breakage, and splintering; the avoidance of injury to the user's hands which comes from protecting the bottom edges of the crate is additionally attained through removal of all fastening devices for the separator structure, rim, or other parts to a point far remote from such bottom edge and Well up the sides of the crate. Preferably also, the crossmembers which form the openwork bottom of the crate and support the bottoms of the bottles are made to reenforce the said rim against deformation.

My invention provides a milk crate of far more sanitary character than hitherto'attained, by avoiding all cracks, crevices, and corners in which dirt can collect. Even though the customary rectangular shape of the crate is retained, the rounded corners, the continuous extent of the material of the shell from top to bottom and entirely around the crate, and the avoidance of all possible joints, ledges and angles at the inside or outside of the shell in which dirt and other unclean matter could find lodgement, marks a decided improvement over prior structures in this respect. The avoidance of all sharp protuberances, corners, and metal parts on the outside of the crate which can be worn and bent in the rough handling to which these crates are subjected and which frequently cause severe injuries to the hands of the persons who must handle'the crates with their heavy burden of filled milk jars, is felt to be an important step forward. Not only are the corners and the corner guards of the usual crate absent from the improved form, but the angle iron construction of the rims which, bind the top and bottom edges of the shell defies bending and prying loose after the familiar manner of the corresponding fiat edge binding used at the bottom of the standard present-day crate. As the fastenings hitherto necessary to hold the bottom rim in place are omitted entirely in the new form by the manner of construction indicated above, there are no screwheads to work loose and project down from the bottom rim to injure the surfaces over which the loaded crate must be slid, and to injure the user's hands.

The preferred method of constructing the shell of the crate out of one piece of waterproofbonde-d laminated plywood, in which the joints or meeting ends of the several plies are staggered and thus overlapped by and cemented to other plies, gives a marked increase in strength over the standard box-like crate, since the vulnerable parts of the latter are its corners, and these have been completely eliminated in the improved structure. The laminated one-piece construction of the shell possesses the characteristic elasticity and shock-resisting ability of this type of construction, while the arrangement of the bottom bars and the separator bars serves to brace the sides of the box against crushing strains, a feature entirely lacking from the standard crate in which the separator bars and bottom bars pass clear through the side walls of the box. With the improved separator structure used to complete the crate, the saving in weight over the standard crate is somewhere near one-half, thus greatly increasing the payload of milk which can be hauled in a vehicle of given tonnage, as well as reducing the liability to strain and injury of the user in stacking the loaded crates particularly at heights above the shoulders or head of the user, as is commonly necessary. The saving in cost of making the crate can be quite substantial, due to economies and simplification in manufacturing. The laminated construction, using waterproof glue to cement plies of wood together, is impervious to Water, thereby preventing increase in the weight of the crate as a result of washing or icing, and also for the same reason is immune to warping and to disintegration or weakening and wear as a result of the softening of the fibers of the wood incident to repeated washings. With the improved construction, no provision needs to be made for expansion and contraction of the wooden parts when alternately wet and dry, as necessary in the present crate where the corners must be reenforced by metal parts.

It is contemplated within the scope of the invention to make the shell of the crate of fiber, textolite, or other strong and impervious material; metal may also be used for this purpose if sufficiently rigid.

A feature of primary importance is that the entire separator unit, which comprises everything within the crate except the top rim with its stacking lugs and the fastening devices, is so designed and constructed that it can be assembled wholly apart from the shell and inserted and fixed within the shell as a unit, thus making it possible to apply high speed production methods, spot welding, riveting, and other rapid means of manufacturing to the formation of the interior parts with the utmost convenience and accessibility, and thereafter tofix this unit in place within the crate with a minimum of manipulation by a relatively small number of fastening devices. This construction makes it easy to guard the individual separator bars with sections of rubber tubing slid over them and intervening between the welded intersections. The entire separator unit, being of metal and in electrical connection throughout, can be electro-plated at once, as where a chrome or cadmium finish is desired, and the process of plating will also unite the joints and intersections between the several separate parts, adding to the cheapness of construction as also to the value of the structure. Further, the shell admits of being completed in a woodworking plant, while the separator structure can be made in a metal working'plant, with no special skill required to assemble the two parts into the finished crate, thus permitting the utmost efficiency through specialized manufacture.

Other objects of the invention and the manner of their attainment, are as made plain hereinafter.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a milk crate embodying the features of the invention, the separator unit being indicated within the crate in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a plan View of the improved milk crate, showing the separator unit in place therein.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the separator unit alone.

Fig. 5 is a section on line 55 of Fig. 3, on a larger scale, showing details of the construction.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the metal rim protecting the top edge of the crate, also showing the stacking lugs fixed on such rim.

The shell I of the improved crate is made of one piece of three-ply waterproof-bonded plywood, bent and moulded around a form to form a tube having a generally oblong shape in section with rounded corners 3 of a radius approximating that of the bottles to be carried in the crate, herein quart milk bottles. As shown in Fig. 3, the ends of the respective plies butt together at difierent points 5 in the circuit of the shell, so as to break joints and have an overlapping relation which avoids material weakening of the shell as a whole.

The means for supporting and separating the several bottles, herein twelve, to be carried in the crate, and also the means for protecting and strengthening the bottom edge and walls of the crate, comprises the structure shown in Fig. 4, which for convenience is termed the separator unit. With the exception of the top rim carrying the stacking lugs shown in Fig. 6, and of the rubber protectors 33 for the hand-holes I if such protectors are used, this separator unit of Fig. 4 comprises all that is applied to or inserted within the shell or tube I to complete the crate. It consists of a rim 9 of thin stiff sheet metal fitting closely within the bottom end of tube I, conforming accurately to the sides and rounded corners thereof, and preferably either let into the interior walls of the tube for at least a portion of the thickness of the rim, or else bedded in cement or caulking compound to prevent the entry of dirt and moisture between the rim and the walls. This rim may be either continuous or split with closely butted ends, and is pressed or stamped so as to have a rounded flange II fitting closely against the bottom edge of the tube around its entire circuit with its outer edge flush with the outer walls of the tube.

Across one dimension of the rim, preferably the width, is arranged a series of supports I3 for the bottoms of the bottles. These supports may be either rounded in section as hitherto, or may be flat, but preferably will be of channel section as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 to receive rubber shockabsorbing pads I5 which are cemented within the channels of these members, protruding well above the side walls of the channel members, and butting closely against the interior walls of shell I at their ends. The downturned extremities I1 of supports I3 are securely riveted 0r welded to the rim 9, thus bracing the rim and consequently the shell I against inwardly directed crushing strains applied to the long sides of the crate. Each support I 3 supports the bottoms of one transverse row of bottles, being centrally located with respect to such ro-w.

Upright straps I9 are riveted or spot welded to the interior surface of rim 9 to support two tiers of separator bars 2| in proper vertically and horizontally spaced relation, the separator bars being formed as desired, preferably being round steel rods, which pass freely through holes formed therefor in the several upright straps I9 at the proper levels. Except at their top and 1 bottom extremities, these straps I9 are shaped to stand well away from the interior walls of the shell I, so as to prevent accumulation of dirt and moisture behind them and to permit thorough washing of the surfaces between the straps and the walls; also, to provide against escape of the ends of the separator bars 2|.

The top ends of straps I9 are fastened to the walls of shell I by rivets or any suitable fastening devices such as the screw-bolts 23 passing through holes in the offset upper ends of straps I9 and through the walls of the shell I. It will be noted that these fastening devices 23 are the only-fastenings needed to secure the entire separator structure shown in Fig. 4 in place within the shell; also, that they are located well above mid-height of the shell so as to be far removed from all contact with the hands and wrists of a person handling the crate by putting his hands sions of the shell I, and also that their ends butt against-such walls where the latter aie'isolid ahd unperforated, as distinct from the customary structure in which the corresponding bars extend clear through the side walls of the crate and rely on the latter to hold them in proper spaced relation. Thus, these separator bars brace all four walls against inward crushing strains, and add materially to the strength of the crate While at the same time being much simpler to install than heretofore.

As the separator .unit of Fig. 4 is completely assembled outside of the shell, the intersections of the separator bars with each other can easily be spot-welded or otherwise fixed to each other and immobilized, further adding to the stiffness of the crate. Sections of rubber tubing may be placed over the lengths of separator bars 2| intervening between intersections as the parts are assembled if desired, as suggested at 25 in Fig. 4, to silence the rattling of the bottles in the crate. Thus constructed, no metal parts touch the bottles at all. The construction permits of assembling and welding together all of the separator bars of the upper or lower level as a subunit, and subsequently stepping the ends of the several bars in their holes in straps l9, either before or after such straps have been secured to rim 9. When an ice tray is to be used, it will preferably replace the upper sub-unit of separator bars 2|, and be welded or otherwise attached to the upright straps H3 at the proper level as a permanent part of the crate; it can, however, be merely laid in on top of the upper level of separator bars 2|. 2| are shown single, but may be doubled in spaced relation for the purpose of holding smaller bottles within a crate having the standard dimensions of length and breadth, so that it can be stacked and handled along with the regulation sizes; or, obviously, any number of cells may be provided by changing the number of bars and supports. The crate shown is designed to hold the usual dozen quart milk bottles.

To complete the crate, a rim 21, Fig. 6, substantially identical with rim 9, is fitted closely and conformably within the upper end of shell I, with its horizontally extending flange 29 fitted accurately to the top edge of the shell and the edge of its flange flush with the outer Walls of the shell. This rim 2'! is preferably provided with the usual stacking lugs 3| welded on at its four The separator bars corners, made to fit equally well within the bottom of either the improved crate or the standard crate. Close fitting rubber guards 33, Figs. 1 and 2, may be applied to hand-holes I.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the improved crate not only has the characteristic,

strength, elasticity and shock-resisting ability inherent in the moulded plywood construction of its shell, but is braced at top, bottom and intermediate points in its side walls by the applied metal parts; further, that all edges of the shell which could wear or splinter are completely guarded either with metal or with rubber. Actually, the crate has only two edges, since the four corners of prior crates have been done away with. The shell or tube has no cracks or crevices in which dirt can lodge, and is finished with a smooth varnish or other surfacing, or impregnated with paraffine, or otherwise treated, to prevent adherence of dirt. As all parts which bear against the shell are bedded in cement or caulking compound, moisture and dirt cannot accumulate in these spots. Only the rubber cushions IS on which thebottles rest afiord any substantial opportunity for lodgement of dirt, and these are few in number, small in area, and easily accessible for cleaning, as well as being impervious to dirt and moisture.

While I have illustrated and described a certain form in which the invention may be embodied, I am aware that manyimodifications may bemade therein by any person skilled in the art, without. departing from th scope of the invention as expressed in the claims. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the particular form shown, orto the details of construction thereof, but

What I do claim is:

1. A crate having in combination a shell of continuous material bent around and overlapped at its ends to form a tube, a metal band fitting closely within one end of the tube, said metal band having connected therewith members extending lengthwise of the tube close to the interior walls of the tube in spaced parallel relation with respect to such walls, and members extending across the interior of the shell passing freely through holes in the first-named members and butting against the interior walls of the shell.

2. A crate having in combination a shell of continuous material bent around and overlapped at its ends to form a tube, a metal band fitting closely Within one end of the tube and having members extending lengthwise of the tube close to the interior walls of the tube in spaced parallel relation with respect to such walls, and rods extending across the interior of the tube in rightanglerelation to each other and passing freely through holes in the said members and butting against the interior Walls of the shell.

3. A crate having in combination a shell of continuous material bent around and overlapped at its ends to form a tube, a metal band fitting closely within one end of such tube, straps in connection with such band extending partway only lengthwise of the tube close to the interior walls of the tube in spaced relation to such walls, fastening means securing the inward ends of such straps to the shell and thus retaining the band in place, and bars extending at right angles to each other passing through holes in such straps and butting against the walls of the tube.

4. A crate having in combination a shell of continuous material bent around and overlapped at its ends to form a tube, a metal band fitting closely within one end of such tube, cross-pieces mounted on such band extending across the tube,

straps in connection with such band extending lengthwise of the tube close to the interior Walls of the tube in spaced relation to such walls, fastening means securing the inward ends of such straps to the shell and thus retaining the band and cross-pieces in place, and bars extending at right angles to each other passing through holes in such straps and butting against the walls of the tube.

5. In a bottle crate, in combination, a separator structure for insertion Within the shell of the crate as a unit, comprising a metal rim to fit within one open end of the shell, channel members connecting opposite sides of the rim, rubber pads Within the channel members, straps extending at right angles to the plane of the rim to enter Within the shell and holding the rim in place within the open end of the shell, and separator bars each having its opposite ends received within holes in the straps.

6. In a bottle crate, in combination, a shell having side walls and open top and bottom ends, a bottlesupporting unit insertable in said shell through the bottom opening, said unit comprising a rim slidably engaging the inner face of the shell, said rim having a peripheral flange on the lower edge thereof contacting the bottom edge of the shell Wall, a separator and bottle contacting grid carried solely by said rim, spaced supporting members secured to the rim and extending upwardly within the shell for fixedly securing the unit in the shell, said members being fastened to said shell solely at points about midheight of the shell so as to be out of contact with the hands of a. person carrying the crate by grasping the rim and parts adjacent the bottom edge of the crate.

JOHN A. CHRISTENSEN. 

